Infinity beads have revolutionized bead weaving ever since their introduction, elevating beaders to new heights of creativity. If you are an avid bead worker, you will likely come across patterns that use infinity beads.
What are infinity beads? Infinity beads are double-holed Czech glass seed beads that resemble the infinity symbol or the digit 8. They come in two sizes, 3*6mm and 4*8mm.
The unique shape of infinity beads unlocks a whole lot of exciting beadwork design possibilities. And if you’re curious to learn more, this article is an excellent place to start. We’ve curated this brief yet informative article on infinity beads, what they are, and how to use them. Let’s dive in!
Why Infinity Beads?
Since you’ve never worked with them before, you might be wondering, why infinity beads? What makes them so special? What makes infinity beads special are the twin holes.
Unlike traditional seed beads that have one hole passing through the beads, infinity beads have two. Two holes provide a less tedious method of accomplishing traditional techniques and complex designs, and spur creativity when inventing new patterns.
Furthermore, infinity beads are made from pressed glass. What this means is that they are all uniform in the pack and consistent from batch to batch.
Infinity beads are not the first 2-hole seed beads, just among the most recently launched versions. There are other popular 2-hole beads like SuperDuos, which work similarly.
However, you cannot swap one for the other in most patterns. There are subtle differences that make infinity beads better suited for specific patterns than the SuperDuos, and vice versa.
Infinity beads Vs. SuperDuo Beads
The difference between Infinity beads and Superduo beads is in the bead shape and size.
The former is slightly bigger, flat, with uniform depth, and sides curved somewhat in at the center. Superduos are smaller by 0.5-1mm, deeper in the middle and shorter at the ends so that the center appears bulged.
While these variances are seemingly small and insignificant, they actually have a considerable impact on the final design. The shape of infinity beads, for example, is perfect for making a weave you’d like to lay flat, compared to SuperDuos that do not sit flat.
Other 2 hole beads that you shouldn’t confuse with infinity beads are the GemDuos which have a diamond shape, and the Tila beads and Tile beads which are square.
How To Use Infinity Beads
There are endless ways of using infinity beads; you just have to play around with the beads to discover them. Try incorporating them in different traditional techniques to see how best they fit into a design.
The most common use of Infinity beads is to alter a design without applying traditional procedures for such alterations. You can switch shape, color, and even texture on a bracelet or necklace more quickly.
Infinity beads are best for linking in multi-strand designs. In the process, they add character by introducing an interesting pattern, texture, or color contrast to the piece.
They are useful for layering and making structural links. You can create both 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional linking for flowers and the like.
You’ll accomplish more by combining Infinity beads with other beads. It would help if you skillfully mixed them with ordinary one-hole seed beads or other types of beads for a modern and tidy construction.
A perfect example is when making a herringbone design or a right-angle weave. While the twin holes make the infinity beads ideal for these applications, they render the thread visible and unpleasant aesthetically.
The addition of tiny seed beads like size 15 between them solves the problem. It conceals the string between two infinity beads forming an angle or a circle.
What Colors Do Infinity Beads Come In?
Infinity beads come in a wide array of colors. There are over 40 hues and tones to choose from. You’ll be sure to find something that blends with your theme or design.
For the neutral shades of white, black, and grey, there is matte metallic steel, pastel grey, jet, matte metallic black, matte metallic silver, pastel light grey silver, pastel petrol, chalk white, white luster, pastel white, pastel creme, pastel creme off white, and crystal clear.
Reddish, brownish, and earth tones include pastel amber, matte metallic copper, matte metallic bronze, bronze, pale gold, matte metallic gold, California gold rush, matte metallic antique brass, luster gold, pastel burgundy, light brown cocoa, dark brown bronze, and jet bronze.
Among the purples and pinks are pastel pink, pastel white coral, pastel dark coral, matte metallic red, pastel light rose, pastel lilac, pastel Bordeaux, and chalk lilac luster.
And lastly are lovely cool tones: turquoise blue Picasso, turquoise green Picasso, chalk blue, pastel lime, matte metallic olivine, pastel olivine, pastel light green, blue luster, pastel Montana blue, pastel aqua, pastel emerald, pastel light sapphire, and pastel turquoise.
For a more visual representation, here’s a great video from Beadaholique on YouTube.
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